Package

ABSTRACT

A package of plastics material adapted to hold a number of bulbs or tubers arranged at a certain interspace and suitable to be placed integrally the soil for planting said bulbs or tubers. The package comprises a top opening and a bottom opening for the growing stalk and roots, respectively.

I United States Patent 1151 3,678,620

Voges 14 1 July 25, 1972 p [54] PACKAGE [56] References Cited [72]Inventor: Albert John Voges, Leidsestraat 83, l-lil- I UNITED STATESPATENTS legon, Netherlands 3,355,084 11/1967 Donovan ..229/2.5 X [22]F1led: June 23, 1970 2,930,162 3/1960 Mulford ..47/37 1,959,510 5/1934Van Waveren ..47/341 1 49343 2,293,531 8/1942 Brooks ..47/37 2,945,3237/1960 Pratt ..47/37 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,112,57712/1963 Burger ..47/37 April 3, 1970 Netherlands ..7004806 Primaryxaminer Roben B Bagwm 52 U.S. c1 ..41/37,47/34.11,229/2s, Mama-wan"Beck" 229/43, 206/46 PL 5 A TM T [51] Int. Cl ..A0lg 9/02 7] BS C 8]Field of Search ..47/34, 34.11, 37,56;229/2.5, A p kag f pl ticsmaterial adapted to hold a number of 229/18 M, 28, 43, 15, 24; 206/46PL, 78 B; D9/192, bulbs or tubers arranged at a certain interspace andsuitable to 184, 7 be placed integrally the soil for planting said bulbsor tubers.

The package comprises a top opening and a. bottom opening for thegrowing stalk and roots, respectively.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing IFigures PACKAGE The invention relates to a packagefor bulbs or tubers in which a number of bulbs are packed for transportand in which they are delivered to the user.

A known package therefor is a normal paper bag, out of which the usertakes the bulbs for planting same. Then, he digs a small hole for eachbulb, which hole is filled again with soil after the bulb has been puttherein.

A drawback of this course of affairs is that the planter must be verywell informed of the correct way of planting, notably of the requirementwith regard to the minimum spacing of the bulbs planted, whileattentiveness is required to place the bulb in the correct position,namely in such a manner that the root side is indeed placed downwards.The object of the invention is to meet this drawback by packing in apackage according to the invention a number of bulbs or tubers arrangedat a certain interspace which corresponds with the correct spacing atwhich the bulbs should be planted from each other, which package issuitable to be placed, together with the packed bulbs, in the soil forplanting same, while the bulbs are kept in the correct position forplanting, which package comprises first means for allowing the roots ofthe growing bulb to emerge, and second means for allowing the growingstalk to emerge upwardly, According to a preferred embodiment, thepackage is provided with third means indicating the correct depth atwhich the bulbs should be planted in the soil.

The above new package enables the user to plant the bulbs in an easymanner, without studying prescriptions and information belonging to thebulb type which he is going to plant in a manner which is most favorablefor the growth. If, for instance, the package contains six bulbs placedin a row, the planter digs a furrow of sufficient length and depth tolower the package therein up to the correct depth, after which thefurrow is filled up with soil. The package may be manufactured toadvantage at least partly of a deformable plastic foil, which forms anenvelopment for each bulb, which plastic foil protects the bulb fromattack in the soil by mouse or worm. Furthermore, by manufacturing thetop side of the package of a rigid sheet which in plan view extends tobeyond the bulbs, the bulbs can be protected from animals grubbing andscratching in the soil, such as dogs and birds. This sheet may alsoserve to print pictures, texts communicating the nature of the packedbulb, as well as texts advertising related articles. The rigid sheet,which may for example consist of cardboard, may be provided with ahinged lip which, when its free end is upwardly directed, directlyindicates the depth at which the package must be placed in the furrow bymeans of the top edge of the lip, or a marking line provided on the lip,which must be levelled with the surface of the soil.

To explain the invention, a number of embodiments will be described withreference to the drawing, while some further particulars will be setforth.

FIG. I is a side elevational view of a package according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view according to the arrow III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view as shown in FIG. 3, but of adifferent embodiment.

The drawing shows a package 1 containing six bulbs 2. The bulbs 2 arelocated in recesses 3, which surround the bulb 2 with moderateclearance, and which are formed of two web halves 4 and 5 meeting eachother in the plane of drawing of FIG. 1, wherein in each web half, halfthe recess form is made, for instance by means of vacuum moulding. Theweb halves 4, 5 may be connected by a longitudinal fold 6, so that thehalf recesses can be made in both web halves simultaneously in a blankof the plastic foil, after which the recesses 3 are formed by foldingthe web halves around the longitudinal fold 6. Preferably a transparentplastic is chosen for the foil, so that the bulbs are visible andcapable of being checked by the buyer. The recesses 3 have a top opening7 and a bottom opening 8, while a flange 9 is formed on the top side ofeach web half. When the web halves are folded, the flanges 9 formtogether an upper face, which can be attached to a rectangular strip 1l, for example of cardboard. This attachment can be effected in anysuitable manner, for example by means of stapels 12, or by glueing, orby means of a heat-seal. The package is now closed and ready for sale.

The package is preferably provided with a lip 13, which can be directedupwardly by the planter during planting, the lip directly indicating thedepth at which the bulbs with the package must be placed in the soil, bylevelling either the tip edge 14, or the marking 16 (FIG. 4) with thesurface of the soil. In the latter case the part 20 of the lip above themarking 16, which part 20 will remain above the soil, may state the typeand color of the bulb, or of the flower. To this end, the lip 13 isconstructed in rotproof and weather-resistant fashion, at least over apart located for example above the dotted line 17.

When the strip 13 is made of cardboard, it is not necessary to make anaccess therein above the top opening 7 of the recesses 3 to renderemerging of the stalk possible, as either the stalk penetrates throughthe cardboard, of the cardboard has in good time been rotten away in thesoil. By selecting the material of the foil for the web halves 4i, 5from a non-rotting material the bulbs are protected during growth fromattack by mice, worms and other animals. Furthermore it has appearedthat by providing the lower opening 8 with a depending sharp edge 18mice cannot get access to the bulb either from the bottom side bygnawing.

The strip 13 may be so wide that animals such as dogs and birds, whichdig in the soil to get access to the bulb, stop digging when they havecome to the strip 13.

The package according to the invention further provides the possibilityof including a layer of root disinfecting substance 19 in the package atthe lower opening 8.

I claim:

1. A package for a plurality of bulbs or tubers adapted to be plantedbodily in the soil in which a number of bulbs or tubers is packed atinterspaces which correspond with the correct spacing at which the bulbsshould be planted from each other, which package defines a packing thatis suitable to be placed, together with the packed bulbs, in the soilfor planting the same, while the bulbs are kept in the correct positionfor planting, which packing comprises: at least one pair of opposingwalls of water-resistant plastic foil interconnected by a longitudinalfold, said walls having pair-wise opposed depressions which togetherform an envelope holding a bulb or tuber and enclosing the same at leastsubstantially completely with some clearance, each envelope having firstmeans at least partly defining an opening at the bottom of the enclosedbulb to allow the roots of the growing bulb to emerge and second meansat least partly defining an opening at the top of the enclosed bulb toallow the growing stalk to emerge upwardly, and the lower portions ofsaid depressions providing support means whereby each bulb isintermediate said first and second means entirely surrounded to givesupport of the bulb on surfaces of the envelope having approximately thesame curvature as that of the bulb, the envelopes being spaced apart adistance corresponding to the correct distance at which the bulbs shouldbe planted in the earth by means of a series of vertically extendingspacer elements, said envelopes and spacer elements being secured toeach other by means of a transversely extending protective stripoverlying said envelope.

2. A package according to claim 1, and further including a depthindicating means secured to said package and extending verticallytherefrom a predetermined distance to indicate the correct plantingdepth.

3. A package according to claim 2, wherein said depth indicating meansis comprised of water resistant plastic and bears indicia.

4. A package according to claim 1, wherein said protective strip iscomprised of a material which rots sufficiently to permit penetrationthereof by the stalk from the growing bulb.

5. A package according to claim 1, and wherein a portion thereof istreated with a disinfectant.

1. A package for a plurality of bulbs or tubers adapted to be plantedbodily in the soil in which a number of bulbs or tubers is packed atinterspaces which correspond with the correct spacing at which the bulbsshould be planted from each other, which package defines a packing thatis suitable to be placed, together with the packed bulbs, in the soilfor planting the same, while the bulbs are kept in the correct positionfor planting, which packing comprises: at least one pair of opposingwalls of water-resistant plastic foil interconnected by a longitudinalfold, said walls having pair-wise opposed depressions which togetherform an envelope holding a bulb or tuber and enclosing the same at leastsubstantially completely with some clearance, each envelope having firstmeans at least partly defining an opening at the bottom of the enclosedbulb to allow the roots of the growing bulb to emerge and second meansat least partly defining an opening at the top of the encloseD bulb toallow the growing stalk to emerge upwardly, and the lower portions ofsaid depressions providing support means whereby each bulb isintermediate said first and second means entirely surrounded to givesupport of the bulb on surfaces of the envelope having approximately thesame curvature as that of the bulb, the envelopes being spaced apart adistance corresponding to the correct distance at which the bulbs shouldbe planted in the earth by means of a series of vertically extendingspacer elements, said envelopes and spacer elements being secured toeach other by means of a transversely extending protective stripoverlying said envelope.
 2. A package according to claim 1, and furtherincluding a depth indicating means secured to said package and extendingvertically therefrom a predetermined distance to indicate the correctplanting depth.
 3. A package according to claim 2, wherein said depthindicating means is comprised of water resistant plastic and bearsindicia.
 4. A package according to claim 1, wherein said protectivestrip is comprised of a material which rots sufficiently to permitpenetration thereof by the stalk from the growing bulb.
 5. A packageaccording to claim 1, and wherein a portion thereof is treated with adisinfectant.